Music

Gucci Mane's latest 1017 Records rapper Mac Critter will now need a criminal lawyer as opposed to an entertainment one -- the Memphis rapper is facing a first-degree murder case.

According to law enforcement docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Mac (real name Daniel Bates) was booked late last month in connection with a December 21 shooting in Memphis that left one person dead.

He was officially charged on December 29 and currently sits in Shelby County Jail ... but is still assuring fans he'll be home soon, at least according to a message on his Instagram account.

The 25-year-old rapper signed to Gucci's 1017 back in October and the 2 collaborated on the song "Dawg" a month later ... but the label has been with a severely depleted roster as of late.

Rae Sremmurd rapper Slim Jxmmi wants to start 2023 on a brand new foot ... without his PlayStation 5 console, because it's way too much of a distraction!!!

Jxmmi dropped off his New Year's resolutions on his IG stories, revealing he wanted to ditch the PS5 in order to revamp his rapping skills.

The gaming console won't go to complete waste ... Jxmmi revealed he wanted to gift it to a single mother.

Jxmmi and his brother Swae Lee linked up with producer Sonny Digital for their latest single "Torpedo" ... and plenty of fiery "4's" to signify their fourth album together!!!

He just celebrated his 31st birthday on December 29 ... so there's probably a bit of newfound maturity coming into play.

The last time we spoke to him, Jxmmi admitted he wanted to get his life right and was dabbling in the world of boxing.

Pioneering rap group, De La Soul have been battling their ex-record label for YEARS to have their music on streaming services, and that war will officially end ... come March 2023!!!

Reservoir Media revealed they had acquired De La's catalog from Tommy Boy Records on Tuesday, laying the gateway for fans to consume their first albums online ... legally, at least.

The grand unveiling happens on March 3, which coincides with the 34th anniversary of their debut album "3 Feet High and Rising," famous for the singles "Me Myself and I" and "Buddy" ... as well as pioneering a new era of hip hop.

For their part, De La Soul said, “We can’t believe this day is finally here, and we are excited to be able to share our music with fans, old and new. Golnar, Rell, Faith and the Reservoir team have been great partners in this entire process. We’re grateful that our relationship with them all has enabled this to happen.”

Sounds like TLC's Chilli will have a partner when she goes chasin' waterfalls  ... because we're told she's officially dating "Boy Meets World" star Matthew Lawrence!

A rep for Chilli tells TMZ ... she and Matthew are in an exclusive relationship, moving past the friend phase just before Thanksgiving.

We're told the 2 spent turkey day and Christmas together in ATL, where Matthew met Chilli's fam.

ICYMI, the couple went Instagram official a couple of days ago ... dancin' to "Take On Me" while wearing matching pajamas -- total relationship goals!

As we reported, the 2 were spotted on a Waikiki beach in August ... getting in the water together and sharing some intense convos, according to beachgoers.

Despite signs pointing to a love connection, we were told at the time they weren't dating -- TLC had a show on the island, and Matthew and his pals simply came to watch ... linking up later.

You don't know how it feels to be in escrow on Tom Petty's oceanfront home, but someone else does ... someone who's about to be the new owner of the Malibu property.

Our real estate sources tell us Tom's estate has accepted an offer for the singer's 3-bedroom estate along Escondido Beach in the 'Bu.

The crib hit the market Dec. 14 with a $9,850,000 listing price, and we're told Tom's estate accepted an offer on Christmas Eve, though the sale is not yet complete.

The beachfront property is 2,200 square feet, and there's a main home and a separate guest house Tom used as a recording studio.

The place served as the inspiration for "Something Good Coming" ... one of the last songs he wrote before his death in 2017.

TP bought the home way back in 2010 for $6.8 million and the primary suite has a fireplace, walk-in closet, ocean view bath and a private, beachfront deck.

The estate sits on a 16,691 square-foot lot ... with 66 feet of beach frontage, and picturesque views of the coastline from almost every room in the house.

Bad Bunny is responding to the viral video of him chucking a fan's phone in the water and his message is clear: don't stick a freakin' phone in his face, at least not without asking first!!!

Video of the "Un Verano Sin Ti" creator being interrupted by a female fan, reportedly while he was in the Dominican Republic, surfaced Monday ... leaving many fans with serious doubts about the mysterious artist's temperament.

In a straightforward tweet Monday, BB said he draws a line between fans who want to create a genuine interaction ... versus the ones looking for social media clout, which he considers an act of disrespect.

BB was crowned the top streaming artist in the world for 2022 -- his third consecutive year taking that crown -- with more than 18.5 billion streams.

That all adds up to immense popularity everywhere he goes.

The end of a year means Uncle Murda's "Rap-Up" series is bound to ruffle some feathers and the G-Unit rapper clipped plenty of wings with his 2022 edition!!!

Like he always does around this time, Murda tackled the top events of the past 365 days with unapologetic aggression ... clowning Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, Yung Miami for letting Diddy have a side-baby and slamming all things Ye '22.

Murda's fellow Brooklynite Bobby Shmurda reacted with glee over his favorable mention ... which outlined the short-lived beef between the "Hot N***a" rapper and NBA YoungBoy.

On the contrary, Murda also addressed Freddie Gibbs' getting jumped during his tour stop in Benny The Butcher's hometown of Buffalo ... and called him a sucker for it.

Gangsta Gibbs didn't take too kindly to the comical shoutout ... and claimed Murda will have the opposite energy when they see each other in real life.

Murda has been raising eyebrows with "Rap-Ups" since 2014 but he originally got the idea from veteran Virginia rapper Mad Skillz, who called it quits in 2021 after starting back in 2002 -- and is apparently still ducking the friction.

He deleted all his social media accounts!!!

Shy Glizzy is now facing sexual misconduct allegations from OnlyFans model Sky Bri ... after the two collaborated on his long-delayed "White Girl" video last month.

Sky was a recent guest on "No Jumper" ... where she claimed to have been coerced into taking a strange pill during the shoot, only to have Glizzy allegedly propose she perform oral sex on him, after he exposed his penis without warning.

Sky admitted to Adam22 she previously worked with Glizzy for a photoshoot a few months ago and immediately took him up on the offer to appear in the  "White Girl" video ... despite haggling to get her pay from $5K, down to $3K.

She claims the D.C. rapper made repeated sexual advances to her during the 10-hour video shoot ... and things finally came to a head when Jefe and "his posse" allegedly cornered Sky in the kitchen.

Sky says she caved under pressure and took the pill that she deemed to be molly, but still completed her work for the video.

While packing up her stuff, Sky alleges Jefe came into the room demanding oral sex -- and when she refused, she says he pulled her appearance fee altogether.

Sky says she sought refuge with "White Girl" video director Whipalo and the film crew ... who ensured she got home safely in a separate vehicle.

Fred White, the drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire, is dead.

Fred died Sunday, according to his brother and bandmate, Verdine. The cause of death is unclear.

The fourth of the White brothers to perform in Earth, Wind & Fire, Fred was one of the famous band's early members ... joining EWF way back in 1974 when he was just 19 years old.

Fred played drums on 8 different Earth, Wind & Fire albums ... plus some of their biggest hit songs like "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "Saturday Night" and "Shining Star" ... and he's one of the 9 band members inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Verdine is remembering his late brother as an "amazing and talented family member" and a "child protégé." He added ... Fred's now with their other brother, and EWF founder, Maurice White in heaven.

Off stage, Verdine says Fred was "the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous! And we could always count on him to make a seemingly bad situation more light hearted!"

Fred was 67.

Boosie Badazz is offering a very unique -- but also uneducated and uninformed -- take on America's opioid epidemic ... urging drug users to revert back to crack, instead of fentanyl, which might be connected to rap's most recent loss.

The outspoken Louisiana rapper hopped on social media to urge addicts to stick to crack ... claiming they live longer and are even better comedians than your average junkie.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl helped increase drug overdoses by 22% in 2021, while also driving down the U.S. life expectancy to its lowest point since 1996.

Boosie didn't mention her by name, but posted his video shortly after it was confirmed Three 6 Mafia member Gangsta Boo died in Memphis.

Sources close to the trailblazing female rap legend told TMZ Hip Hop police are investigating a possible drug overdose related to a fentanyl-laced substance ... but can't be sure until an official autopsy is conducted.

Boosie's ridiculous video doesn't account for the fact many fentanyl overdoses occur when users don't even know it's been laced in a different drug.

Britney Spears wanted to start fresh in a brand-spankin' new home to celebrate her freedom from the conservatorship ... but turns out, the grass ain't always greener, and she's planning on unloading the pricey pad.

TMZ broke the story back in June ... Britney and her hubby, Sam Asghari, plunked down $11.8 million back in June for a massive 11,650 sq. foot home on 1.6 acres in Calabasas. In fact, the home was located in the same neighborhood as Brit's ex, Kevin Federline.

However, sources close to Britney tell us she just hasn't fallen in love with the new home, and is planning on selling it in 2023.

But, don't worry, Britney won't be homeless, she still owns the Thousand Oaks mansion she bought back in 2015 for $7.5 million -- the same place that boasts one of the most iconic living room backdrops on social media ... thanks to Britney's Instagram videos.

Unclear if Britney will decide to start searching for another new home, or if she'll just stay in the OG crib ... but she'll have plenty of money free up once she unloads the new crib.

Mekhi Phifer has some bad news for "8 Mile" fans, on the heels of the flick's platinum anniversary -- don't waste time looking for a sequel, ''cause it ain't happening!!!

We caught up with the "8 Mile" star shortly after the classic film marked its 20th anniversary ... and we had to ask if there was anything in the works for a new story related to the OG characters.

Mekhi tells TMZ Hip Hop ... there will never be a follow-up to the film, as far as he's concerned. He says, sometimes it's best to leave the classics alone ... adding there's never been any convo about making one happen.

Now, he does acknowledge a sequel could be interesting -- just story-wise -- but he says he wouldn't want to be in it, and he doubts his costar Eminem would be a part of it either.

As far as their relationship goes ... he says they're still pals and they keep in touch. He adds, Em is focusing more on his music right now, so that's another reason they won't be returning to 8 Mile Road.

Since the film dropped in November 2002, Eminem's music career's had its ups and downs, but he's still widely recognized as a hip hop icon ... and he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.

Judge Judy might not have been a fan of Justin Bieber in the past, but now she's singing his praises ... saying she couldn't be happier he's gotten his life on the right track.

We caught up with the famous judge in Bev Hills, and asked about her former neighbor JB, after she recently opened up about their tense relationship over the years ... which she chalks up to him being young and reckless.

Judy tells us, she hasn't spoken to the pop star recently but she's seen him and he looks better than ever ... and seeing him doing so well makes her really happy.

ICYMI, JJ recently put the pop star on blast for his behavior back in the day ... saying Justin was once "scared to death" of her after she called him out, following his DUI bust in 2014.

She told "Access Hollywood" ... "There was a period of time before he grew up, when he was foolish and doing foolish things."

But, now that's all water under the bridge and she seems really impressed with his maturity.

Lola Mitchell, AKA Gangsta Boo -- a former member of Three 6 Mafia and a pioneer of female rap -- has died.

The hip hop star's passing was confirmed by her former labelmate DJ Paul -- who threw up a photo of her on IG ... seemingly as a tribute. Several prominent artists commented with messages of condolences. The exact circumstances surrounding her death are unknown.

Gangsta Boo's career officially started in the '90s, when she linked up with Paul, Juicy J and other founding members of the rap group -- which included the likes of Lord Infamous, Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca and more. Gangsta Boo was one of the only female rappers with the crew, but she held her own and paved her own lane for years as part of T6M.

In addition to her own solo albums that she was cranking out at the time -- to much acclaim -- Gangsta was also featured on Three 6 Mafia's first 5 studio albums ... including their debut record in '95's "Mystic Stylez" ... as well as other notable projects like 'Chapter 1,' 'When the Smoke Clears' and even the 'Choices' album that served as the soundtrack to the movie.

Gangsta Boo left Three 6 in the early 2000s, but went on to have a notable career thereafter -- cranking out another solo studio album, and several mixtapes through the rest of the aughts and 2010s. This, of course, doesn't include the countless features she's been a part of -- working with rap titans like Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, OutKast, E-40, T.I., The Game and more.

She continued rapping into the 2020s as well ... often collaborating with Killer Mike and El-P in their hip hop duo Run The Jewels. Gangsta Boo was also continuing to partner up with different media outlets to put out music, such as UPROXX and others.

Gangsta Boo was a staple in the Memphis community and music scene -- and seems to have been beloved by the people there. She was active on social media quite recently.

She was 43.

RIP

Celine Dion's heart might go on, but her fans are having a hard time getting past this snub by Rolling Stone ... which left her off their list of G.O.A.T. crooners.

The magazine posted a refreshed 200 Greatest Singers of All Time -- and their roster is pretty extensive ... spanning decades of music, and even roping in some acts that are raising eyebrows (like Ozzy Osbourne, for example). Still, it's a well-rounded mashup of talent.

While some no-brainers made the cut -- Aretha, Whitney, Adele, Michael, Mariah, Freddie, etc. -- there's one person who's noticeably missing entirely ... Ms. Titanic herself.

There are other names that were excluded, which are drawing some outrage, but none quite measure up to Celine not being included. Fact is ... she is far and away one of the most accomplished and impactful singers in modern history, commercially and critically.

Of course, Celine has won countless accolades ... not the least of which include 5 Grammys, 6 AMAs, 7 Billboard Awards, 12 World Music Awards, 20 JUNO Awards, and on and on. Plus, seven of her albums have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide -- a benchmark only a handful of solo female artists have achieved. Several of her records have been certified gold, platinum and diamond -- and she's got multiple #1 hits from a charts perspective.

Even by Rolling Stone's own standard on what warrants a great "singer" -- where they consider the full breadth of their work and showmanship, rather than focus on raw vocal talent -- Celine checks all the boxes and then some. She should be on there somewhere.

Celine herself doesn't seem to mind. She hasn't responded to the slight, but rather ... is busy celebrating her storied career. Still, as some have noted -- someone screwed the pooch here.

The Black Eyed Peas showed solidarity with the LGBT community to ring in the new year -- doing so on Polish territory ... and on a state-sanctioned TV channel, no less.

The music group was hired as the headlining gig for TVP's "New Year's of Dreams" show, and when they finally hit the stage ... all 4 members came out wearing rainbow armbands. It seems they kept them on for a good while, too, as they went through their set.

Of course, that sparked outrage among Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS), which is in power at the moment -- and which has taken on very strong anti-LGBT views and policies ... trickling throughout much of the country and embraced by several citizens as well.

One such member of PiS, Marcin Warchol, expressed his indignation at the BEP's accessories, writing ... "LGBT promotion in TVP2 . DISGRACE! It’s not a New Year’s Eve of Dreams but a New Year’s Eve of Deviance."

The funny thing is that TVP is, more or less, a state broadcaster -- they regularly air programming that aligns with PiS ... and the Black Eyed Peas were presumably hired by someone working there/with ties to the ruling party. So ... this is kinda on them.

Will.i.am caught wind of the backlash and responded, writing ... "#WHEREStheLOVE??? Unity, tolerance, understanding, oneness, respect, diversity & inclusion…THATS LOVE…people are people & we should all practice to honor & love all the different types of people on earth & learn from them…I LOVE YOU your country…"

He further addressed the matter on video, posting a clip of himself talking about why they did what they did -- and it all comes down to trying to reach people who don't see eye to eye.